There’s nothing Tiger Woods would like more next Sunday than to receive a text from his tennis buddy Roger Federer congratulating him for winning his 15th major championship.

A win at this week’s British Open at Turnberry would tie Woods with Federer (who won his 15th last week at Wimbledon) for career majors.

It, too, would inch Woods closer to his lifelong goal of breaking Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major championship victories.

Woods is in the rare position (for him) of not being the reigning champion at any of the four majors, and in his brilliant 13-year career as a pro, he has gone 0-for-the-majors just three times (1998, 2003 and 2004).

Asked after he won his own event, the AT&T National, two weeks ago if he’s looking forward to catching Federer, Woods said, “Hopefully. One good thing is our [playing] career [in golf] is a little bit longer than theirs [in tennis], so I’ve got one good thing there.”

His last win in a major was the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, where he hobbled around on his injured knee. It since has been surgically repaired, so a win this week at Turnberry also would represent Woods’ first major championship win post-surgery.

He already has won three times this year, is a career year for most players.

But Woods has failed to close the deal on either of the year’s first two majors — the Masters and U.S. Open — despite being in contention in both.

That has raised maybe not a red flag, but a faded pink one at least.

After all, Woods’ front-nine charge on Sunday at Augusta usually would result in a back-nine close for a green jacket and that never materialized.

And at last month’s U.S. Open, Woods uncharacteristically let an opening round get away from him. Then, after clawing his way back into contention on the weekend, Woods could not sink a putt of significance.

The interesting thing about Woods’ three wins this year is that they have all come in his final tune-up before a major.

He won the Arnold Palmer Invitational before playing the Masters and went to Augusta with big-time momentum.

He won Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial last month in impressive fashion and there were few analysts who didn’t think he was as close to a lock as anyone could be to win at Bethpage.

The question this week as Woods prepares to play the British, which he has won three times (2000, 2005 and 2006), is whether he can put it all together and win his 15th major.

“Hopefully I can play like I did [at the AT&T] and continue to build,” Woods said before heading back home to Orlando to work with his swing coach, Hank Haney, last week.

Woods said he planned to watch video of TV coverage from the prior British Opens at Turnberry, including Nick Price’s 1994 win and Tom Watson’s 1977 victory.

After the British Open comes the PGA Championship at Hazeltine, so beginning this week, Woods has two chances at making his 2009 successful.

“Looking forward to the next two [majors],” Woods said. “I’ve never played Turnberry, so I’m looking forward to getting there and playing. Hazeltine, it has been a while, but I came close there [finishing runner-up to Rich Beem at the 2002 PGA], and I like Hazeltine.”

Padraig Harrington, who has won the last two British Opens but has struggled this year with a revamped swing, played with Woods in the first two rounds of the U.S. Open and issued a warning.

“I actually would say that his game is in very good order,” Harrington said. “I think he’s in better form than when he won at Bay Hill in his first victory since his knee operation.”

It was when Woods was preparing in the practice range to play his final round last Sunday at the AT&T National that he got word that Federer had won Wimbledon and he sent a congratulatory text.

“Great job,” Woods wrote. “Now it’s my turn.”

Woods said he meant it was “his turn” to win that day, at the AT&T. But he really meant it was his turn to win major No. 15.